About Me

Three years ago, I felt the air deflate from my lungs when a caring orthopedic doctor suggested that I may have a form of inflammatory arthritis. Passionate about exercising and enjoying an active lifestyle, I was devastated. While the past few years haven’t been easy, I’ve learned to savor each day as a gift. When I experience a day of intense joint swelling and stiffness, I try to remind myself that it might be followed by several relatively pain free days. I’ve also learned to conduct research about my disease and be open to trying the many available treatment options for this medical condition. Good nutrition, stretching exercises, and certain medications have become my best allies in my battle with inflammatory arthritis. On this blog, I want to provide reassurance to others who have been diagnosed with this condition that life goes on. And, it can be surprisingly wonderful. Enjoy!

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If you suffer from back pain, you may wonder if there is anything you can do to help relieve the pressure, tight muscles, and frequent muscle spasms. If so, you may want to take a look at your habits, as there are a couple of bad ones that could be making your back pain worse.

Sitting on Your Wallet or Carrying a Heavy Purse

If you are a man, you may be in the habit of keeping your wallet in your back pocket. Even when you sit down at your desk during the day, you may keep it there so you do not lose track of it. However, sitting on your wallet may be making your back pain worse.

Because the thickness of the wallet makes your rear uneven while sitting, this awkward position throws your back out of alignment. Because the muscles on one side of your back are stressed, they will tighten up and increase your symptoms.

And, although women typically do not keep their wallet in their back pocket, they may overload their purses. When they carry their purses on one shoulder, the additional weight on one side also throws their backs out of alignment.

If you are a man, you should remove your wallet whenever you plan to sit for more than a few minutes. Alternatively, if you are a woman, lighten up the weight of your purse and alternate shoulders frequently to keep the strain off of one side.

Slouching or Hunching at Your Desk

If your work requires you to sit at a desk all day, you may feel that you are more comfortable slouching back in your chair or hunching over your desk. However, either of these positions may be increasing your back pain, especially if you keep them for hours at a time.

Either way of holding yourself at your desk throws the spinal column out of alignment. Because of this misalignment, the muscles must tense up at odd points along your back to hold the position. This muscle tension can then lead to muscle spasms.

Instead of slouching or hunching, make sure the back of your chair is straight up. Then, press your back against it so that it is perfectly aligned. If your back starts feeling tired, stand up and stretch at least once an hour to loosen up the stationary muscles.

Avoiding the above bad habits can help take pressure off of your back and lessen your discomfort. However, if your back pain persists, speak with doctors at clinics like The Pain Management Group about your condition and discuss other ways, both medical and habitual, that can help relieve your back pain so it does not interfere with your quality of life.